National CALL TO ARTISTS
Palm Beach County Convention Center
North Courtyard Enhancements
650 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
BUDGET: $943,500
DEADLINE: September 25, 2015
Received by 5:00 p.m. E.S.T.
Submittal via CD-ROM or Thumb Drive
Public Art Project Description
Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places program seeks to commission an artist led team to activate the Palm Beach County Convention Center’s approximately 20,000 square foot North Courtyard. The vision for this project is to create a place that’s both “Zen” and a “Wow” – a compelling outdoor setting that’s comfortable, beautiful, memorable, and that offers flexible functionality for the Convention Center’s varied happenings.
The current space has only a handful of benches. Nothing but the building’s own shadow provides shade from South Florida’s intense sun. After sunset, current lighting is minimal. As such, it’s been underutilized for special events, and by Convention Center guests who wish to step outside and take a break from their meeting, convention, tradeshow, art fair, etc. to enjoy the local weather and atmosphere.
To accommodate the Courtyard’s diverse uses, the selected design will feature multiple, smaller shaded seating niches, instead of one large singular shading amenity. Existing pavers and plantings may be altered, removed and re-configured. The selected design will not reduce current useable event space by more than fifteen percent. See site plan below with approximate project area measurements.
The North Courtyard is visible to pedestrians and motorists along Okeechobee Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown West Palm Beach. The North Courtyard is accessible to the public. It is anticipated that the addition of shaded seating and night lighting will activate the space in a manner that attracts use by Convention Center visitors and hotel guests.
For full RFQ see attached or visit http://www.pbcgov.org/fdo/art/artists/